The composition is close to that of a view of Heidelberg of about 1842 in the Vaughan Bequest, National Gallery of Scotland; but in details of style and colouring both this and the preliminary study (No.587) seem to be earlier in date, say about 1835. The inscription on the study suggests that it was made in I841 and that the finished watercolour was therefore executed at about that time; but it may be susceptible of a different interpretation. An extremely rough pencil sketch of the town from this viewpoint is on f.16' of the 'Heidelberg up to Salzburg' sketchbook; more detailed studies of groups of buildings are on ff. I4, I5" and elsewhere in the same book. The 'Berne, Heidelberg and Rhine' sketchbook (T.B.CCCXXVI) contains a series of views of the town from the opposite bank of the Neckar (ff. 39 and 42) which probably formed the immediate basis of the composition.